Introduction What is PBL Induction
Developing Problems Assessment
Evaluation Setting Up First Meeting Further Meetings Resources
References
Example Problem
Should the students appoint a chairperson for each meeting?
Before deciding to have a chairperson you need to decide why you want a chairperson. Not having a chairperson can have its advantages as students tend to work more collaboratively and share responsibility within the group.
If a chairperson is needed to take on some management responsibility within the group, these responsibilities need to be defined. Some chairpersons can become quite directive and didactic rather than facilitative of the learning process.
The students are going down the wrong track. When do I intervene?
Students need to go down the wrong track as this is part of the information sorting process.
When to intervene is always the tutor’s dilemma. Tutors need to be conscious of the time, but not to close off the discussion too early. Often wrong track discussions will naturally finish as students will run out of ideas to extend the discussion. This is good cue to move on!
What if the students have not picked up the objectives I hoped they would?
CONTENTS
Introduction What is PBL Induction
Developing Problems Assessment
Evaluation Setting Up First Meeting Further Meetings Resources
References
Example Problem
If the case is well written and based around objectives students will generally cover all the core objectives. Often student learning goes beyond the intended objectives for the case. Reviews of cases completed by 10+ groups indicate that there is considerable commonality in the objectives covered
If students are not picking up on a particular area, the skill of the tutor is important here. Without telling the students, the tutor may have to use some creative questioning to get students to focus on particular aspects. If this doesn’t get the students attention then wait until the next session and see how the learning unfolds—all groups move at different rates and this needs to be considered.
How many meetings should be allocated for each problem?
This decision should be made as part of the program plan. Whether students are to meet for 3 or 4 sessions, or weekly for a whole semester must be decided before the problem starts. Students may meet informally outside this time, but that is a decision they can make and need not include the tutor.
How do I deal with non-participants?
Non participation can indicate a degree of comfort (or lack of) within the group. Give individuals time to settle into the group before becoming too judgmental.
Not everyone is a constant contributor in sessions. Some students actually make smaller but far more effective contributions when they do participate.
Long term non participation is an issue. It needs to be discussed within the group to get it sorted! Both the group and the student have a responsibility to overcome this situation.
How do I deal with anxious students?
CONTENTS
Introduction What is PBL Induction
Developing Problems Assessment
Evaluation Setting Up First Meeting Further Meetings Resources
References
Example Problem
This is an area of concern particularly when students are beginning in a PBL format. You do have a role in giving students feedback on how PBL works, so that they can at least feel as if they are doing things the right way. Students gradually learn to manage the uncertainty in the learning process as they take control of their learning. For some students, this can take some time.
How do I deal with angry students?
Students generally won’t be angry but they will be frustrated. These are often the students who don’t want to have responsibility for their own learning, or find it difficult to know what to learn. For those that don’t want to take control of their learning it is important to reiterate that this is part of the process of them becoming independent and self-directed learners. These should also be objectives of the program.
For those students frustrated because they don’t know how to learn, it is important for the tutor to give some guidance on how students can go about the learning between sessions. This can be a group discussion: How will we find out this information?
How do I answer the question "how much of this is assessed?"
This is a good question and students will want to know the answer. Are students going to be assessed through the tutorials? Will attendance be necessary? Part of the program planning will require that this be sorted out.
What role will the tutors have in the assessment? What objectives can be assessed through the tutorial process? What weighting will be given to this part of the program? These decisions need to be made.
How do I answer the question "why don’t you give us the answer?"
CONTENTS
Introduction What is PBL Induction
Developing Problems Assessment
Evaluation Setting Up First Meeting Further Meetings Resources
References
Example Problem
Students will ask the question early in their development and use of a PBL approach. It needs to be clarified with students that the tutor’s role is not to give answers but to guide their learning. Students need to recognise that they need to understand the ideas and active learning is more likely if they grapple with and solve their learning problems. Don’t give into the pressure to give the answer!
In some cases when students ask this question it means they have reached the limit of their knowledge. Instead of giving them the answer, ask them what they need to now research to help them find out the answer.
Further Meeings
CONTENTS
Introduction What is PBL Induction
Developing Problems Assessment
Evaluation Setting Up First Meeting Further Meetings Resources
References
Example Problem
The students have now met once, discussed the problem, developed learning objectives (in the first class) and individually gathered and summarised material (in-between classes). The following suggests how the second, third and final meetings could be organised.
Conducting the second and subsequent meetings:
Second meeting: Share and evaluate information Third meeting: Consolidation
Final meeting(s): Generalisation, feedback and evaluation